If a site owner places media (video or audio) on their site, they need a media player for it to play. This requires each media file or stream to be played by a separate and unique media player. For example, if a site embedded 5 videos on a page, each video would require a separate unique embedded player. The same is true for on-demand audio: 5 audio clips would require 5 separate embedded players. For streaming audio each stream URL requires its own unique pop out player. And because each media player, (both embedded and pop out) is unique, none can communicate with the others. They can't turn themselves off when another begins and that causes overlapping play of media. The user is forced to turn off each video or audio manually before starting another to avoid the overlap of each other. This is the case for pop out players and embedded players and is a terrible consumer experience. Additionally, in the case of embedded players if the user changed pages on the site, the media would stop. Embedded players only work on the page they live on since each is a separate code base.
Pop out players have a unique problem. They open in a separate browser window or tab, and to control the player you must leave the main site, driving the site's traffic away to a URL the site does not control. If a site tries to embed the actual pop out player onto one of its site pages, the stream will stop as soon as the user changes pages on the site. All this has made sites that use audio and/or video a confusing mix of competing media players, with differing control features. Video and audio sources play over each other, the media stops when a page is changed, and in the case of pop out players, the audience is driven to a third-party player in a different window or tab. It is a frustrating experience for the end user and a poor way for sites to offer media to be watched and listened to.